Monarch habitat – Page 6

Fall Can’t Come Soon Enough and A Monarch Sighting in Hornitos!

Studying the first tarantula of the season. There were two on my walk, and they both looked extremely healthy.

It is no secret among my friends that I LOVE spiders – especially tarantulas. Not only are they amazing predators eating their weight and more of flies and gnats, but they are a harbinger of Fall with its cooler weather. Oh my goodness, am I desperate for rain and cold.

David and I have been busily preparing for the Fall. In addition to building log dams in the Spring Creek, we have been chopping downed oak branches. Often, these large oaks will drop branches in an attempt to stay alive by needing less water. It leaves some of the trees looking lopsided and the ground covered in branches and leaves. The large thud can be frightening if it is unexpected. One of the large oaks dropped a very large branch unexpectedly. The tree looked really healthy, and I had hoped it would stay fully intact despite this horrid drought.

David has been pulling the branches from under the tree with a chain and truck. These last two branches (pictured above) were too heavy and too tangled for the truck to dislodge them and pull them out, so he has been carefully cutting them in place. He needs to be very watchful and not be under the canopy too long given the branches dropping. They call oak branches connected to trees but sagging toward the ground “widow-makers”. For real…

Instead of burning all wood material, we prefer chipping. Not only is it better for air quality, but it provides a (very) local source of mulch for around the plants helping the soil to retain precious moisture. We neatly stacked the logs so that they could be handled by the chipping vendor. A huge thanks to the Mariposa County Fire Safe Council for offering this chipping program as a way to reduce fire fuel load near homes. Often, the chipping jobs are too small for the large vendors or too expensive, so this program is a huge benefit for our community.

Once the pile of chips was complete, David and I began filling the Polaris, and I spread it within the planting sites. There were six loads in total. Dave gave up after two loads and sat on the porch with a beer watching me work. It was a well-deserved break for him after all the branch hauling and sawing.

Spider Season

It is no wonder Halloween mainstays are pumpkins and spiders. It is nearly October, and I have begun to see the webs floating through the air. On those webs are baby spiders lifting off from wherever to begin a new life in a new territory. The webs will get lodged in plants, trees, vehicles, structures – pretty much anything they come in contact with. And, that is where they will begin their new life. As I was watering and mulching, I saw several stuck webs on the plants. To be certain, we will have a solid line of defense against any bugs.

On my walk a week ago today, I saw two tarantulas. They were the first living ones I’ve seen this year. Typically, I will begin to see them in August, but, this year, it is late September. They both looked healthy. The life of a male tarantula is one of being darned if you do and darned if you don’t. They are meals for tarantula wasp babies or a meal for the female tarantula after fertilization. I love them so much and feel bad for their fate, but that is how nature intended.

Some other good friends I have seen a lot recently are snakes. They are so important, and I protect them from getting picked off by raptors as much as I can. I try to scoot them off the cement or the roads into the grass or leaves so they are not as easily seen by the remarkable eyes of hawks.

Gently nudging this beauty to exit the patio into the leaf litter

Late Blooms

One of the crucial elements of establishing a well-rounded pollinator garden is to ensure diverse plantings and plants that bloom at different times of the Spring, Summer and Fall. Although it is late September, I am still getting blooms on the plants. I was rewarded today with a sighting of two admiral butterflies. They moved so fast that I could not get a photo. I saw their distinctive markings and was overjoyed. They are larger than the other butterflies I have been seeing lately, which is fun.

A Heartfelt Goodbye to the Polaris

I gave the Polaris back to its rightful owners the other day. My neighbors have been incredibly generous with me, allowing me to use it for so many weeks. It has been a reliable friend making my work so much easier. I won’t lie; I miss the gosh darn thing. I am back to hauling my water with the Gorilla cart since the part for my electric ATV is still MIA from Canada.

MONARCH SIGHTING Drives U-Turn!!

Monarch flutters away into the field. Can you find it?

I haven’t been on a vacation in years. This week, David and I were set to leave for the coast. We had the car packed, the bikes on the back and the dogs situated comfortably for the long ride. We drove to Hornitos, made the tight curve, climbed up the hill out of town and made our way down the winding road toward the vast expanse of the Central Valley. Just a mile outside of town, we pulled over on La Paloma Road to check the bike rack. It was fortuitous. –My hands are trembling as I write.– As I sat in the car, a single, large orange and black butterfly fluttered right over the car. It was a MONARCH! I grabbed my phone and bolted out out of the car like I was a 20 year old and ran down the dirt road as fast as I could, following the large erratic flutter, side to side, yet forward, of this magnificent creature. I ran until it flew over the ranch fence into the field, skirting the rangeland, just over the grass. My heart was racing, and I snapped three sad, far off photos. It was the best I could do. Then, my elation sunk in parallel with my heart. I was leaving. There were monarchs in Mariposa, along the rangeland, finally, and I was leaving town. David yelled to me to get into the car and lets go. Reluctantly, turning back every so often, as if I was a child again, called home too soon, leaving my joyful friends playing behind, I made my way back up the dirt road and got into the car.

I certainly wanted to leave town. The smoke and heat have been toxic to my body. It has been too many days of working hard in this situation. I wanted the clean, cool air of the coast. I wanted to see my siblings and make my husband happy to have the smell of redwoods in his nose. I was conflicted. Could I leave now after seeing this? Had I worked so hard since 2019, not seeing any monarchs, to leave now that there was a real, tangible chance to see them use this habitat? What if the watering system David constructed got a leak, and water did not make it to the milkweed or nectar and the plants died? A tear quietly rolled down my cheek as I ruminated. David, driving, caught this resigned defeat out of the corner of his eye. He grabbed my hand and said, “HB, do you want to go back home? We are only an hour and a half down the road. I am ok with it if you do. I know how hard you’ve worked.” I said, “Really? You would give up your beautiful trip?” He said, “Yes. I am totally fine with a stay-cation.” I said, “I love you.” He made the u-turn, and we started back for home.

I called my sister and brother to make sure they were ok. I asked, “Is it lunacy for me to cancel my vacation for a butterfly?” Both my sister and brother encouraged me to shift my plans. They said, in turns, “It would be crazy if you didn’t do all that work, saw a butterfly and cancelled your trip. You worked on this project for years, literally giving your blood, sweat and tears. We think it is crazy for you not to stay!” I promised to visit soon and hung up as David and I made our way across the Valley, the glorious Sierra foothills, and home, in our sights.

Taking Time to Appreciate

The weather is cooling. The wind is blowing the smoke away. It is a beautiful day on the ranch this Sunday. There is always so much work to do, but on such a special day, I had to take time to appreciate the honor I have to caretake this land, in this place, at this time. There is no better way to process these feelings than to walk the ranch. The smell of tarweed mixes with the dust of soil that is way too dry. Then cow pie. Then warmed oak bark. A little smell of stagnant water as I cross the Spring Creek and head up the hill. I notice the crunch of grass made brittle by drought. Top soil kicks up with each step of my feet and dog paws. As I get closer to the ridge, the wind kicks up tickling my skin. Although there is a lick of cool in the air, the sun is up higher now. The heat feels like a rug burn on my bare arms – hot and focused. As long as I keep walking, the breeze cools my skin. The dappling on the hillside give the dogs respite from the sun. Then, overhead, the call of a red tail hawk. It floats aggressively on the whipping wind – up high, then suddenly gliding close over the earth. As I watch in awe, a second red tail calls and floats close, over me. The dogs want to give chase, but they instantly know they are defeated as the wind takes the second hawk away as rapidly as it came. I come upon a slope of dead oak trees, victims to the last 5-year drought; there is a temporary grave site of a young hawk that likely chose the wrong territory to settle. Its flesh is no longer there, but its feathers are spread across the grass, reflective in the light. I give an offering and my thanks to the young hawk for its life and its feathers. Chiokoe uttesia in werweria, in jali’i. Se enchi nake. Se enchi nake. Ne te visawame. Its feathers will be used to do good, and in that way, its life will continue.

I saw just one butterfly when I got to Odom Creek. It was a little blue copper. I love those. The dogs took a swim in the large spring. It was a great morning.

Log Pile Dam Structure

A log pile dam is a low cost, low hardware method of slowing water down in a stream. I was able to build the pile mostly on my own. To get the larger logs into the pile in the creekbed, I used other narrower branches as leverage. Then, I used brute strength to edge one side or another of the log into place. Even with all the progress, there were several large, heavy logs I did not have the strength to move, but were needed for the top of the dam. I needed a stronger person than me — HEEYYY DAAAAVVVE!!

A photo burst of David at work. He is SO strong!

I am anxious for rain so that I can see how well this will work to back up water, even a little, in the creek. Thank you David for your help. I really needed it.

Va’am into Sewam (Water and Flowers)

In my last post, I lamented about a water dilemma. I am running out of rainwater but do not want to irrigate from my well. Finally, I made the heartbreaking decision to irrigate with the well water. In the end, I decided I could be super miserly on household water usage. This way, I would create less impact on the well and the oaks that depend on the groundwater. I am so close to the rainy season and so close to the dormant time for many of these native plans that it made sense to do this. David built the irrigation lines, and all the plants have a 1/2 gallon dripper on them. The system will be set to water so that the plants get 1/4 gallon maximum. Hopefully, the rain will come soon, and I will not need it long.

A wonderful advancement of this project will be working with the Watershed Progressive. They will be installing a professional rainwater irrigation system. We will also be adding another 2,500 gallon tank. The system will have high tech features to know the weather and the soil moisture so that water will be added only if needed. It also comes with an app so that I will be able to monitor system performance and needs. I am very excited. The system should be installed early in the “rain year”. I don’t want to miss too much rain storage. David is so happy to not have to set up my “poor girl’s” rainwater catchment system. The new system will allow me to expand my plantings, especially as the earlier plants mature and need less or no supplemental water. It will also enable me to continue to do this work without the limitation of the watering effort and the break down of my body. I cannot underscore how important this is to my continuation of this work.

TA Portion of the RCD Grant Gains Steam

Staff at the Miwumati Family Healing Center, a program of the American Indian Council of Mariposa County (aka Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, have been collaborating with me on the hiring of a Pollinator and Garden Advisor for the Center. The Tribe has been focusing on Indigenous food sovereignty programming, including starting a garden. The new hire will not only focus on traditional food systems, but will be learning about pollinators. They will then help others in the community expand their pollinator habitat. I will be working with this person as well as other experts to build this capacity. This is very exciting.

Thinking of the Future

As the growing season nears its end, I have a little more time to think about the future. The Xerces Kits will arrive in November. The Tribe’s Pollinator and Garden Advisor will assist me in helping others get the dormant plants into the ground. We will be focused on planting in typically wet locations – like creekbeds and springs. I also would really like to create a beaver dam analog on Odom Creek. I spoke with the Watershed Progressive about this. They are learning how to do this work themselves. There may be the opportunity to have a clinic on the ranch to help others learn about implementing these on their parcels for the benefit of wildlife as well as livestock, which can benefit from the flooded areas that will grow more grass. There is always so much to do, so many ideas. No matter the workload, it truly is an honor and a privilege to be on this land, to work with so many outstanding humans, and to be doing work that makes – at least this small part of the world – more habitable for butterflies and other pollinators.

Nassua (Fight)

The spring along Spring Creek fights back from the heat wave and created two new pools

I almost did not use “fight” as the blog title. Like many people, I am sick of all the division – the fighting over everything – like masks, which should be basic decency and thoughtfulness. The heat has been deadly, and everything, including humans, are fighting to survive. In my nearly 20 years on this parcel of land, I have never seen this level of quiet, this few birds, insects — and no butterflies. Even ants, which are hardy and reliable visitors, have been largely missing in the house, along the patios and near the house. I know it is the heat because when the temperatures dropped back into the 90s with cooling overnight, there were more bugs, and yes, we had ants inside all of the sudden. One of the most visible shifts when the heat cools, is the presence of birds – more flitting about and singing. It was a horror, truly, to see several birds during the heat wave panting, just standing on the patio with their beaks open. The filled water troughs and consistent, albeit low volume, water production in the Spring Creek have been life savers. One of the greatest miseries over the mass of 100+ degree days was the was the 9 week absence of any butterflies. On August 31, I saw my first butterfly in those 2.25 months. The next day I saw another one, and over the weekend there was another one. There should be so many more, but I am glad to see any.

I have three narrow leaf milkweeds blooming currently. The others are a little further behind. There are milkweeds that continue to grow 2, 3 even 4 times after being eaten by gophers. They inspire me to keep working, to keep watering. The narrow leaf milkweeds seem to have the most growth potential and speed than the broad leaf milkweeds. The spring continues to fight the heat to keep water moving and pooling down the creek bed. There are somehow sunflowers, lilies, and other plants that have appeared despite the heat and lack of moisture. With all of these examples of determination from in werweriam (my relatives), I must continue to have hope and some grit to keep going. I see bird poop and feathers on and adjacent to troughs. I see tracks adjacent to and shifted boulders in the creek trough. The water is making a difference. So – I get up each morning before the sunrise to check on things and work each evening until just after sunset watering and filling troughs. David is helping me cut wood so we can create mulch for the beds. The wind has blown the grass mulch off and exposed the soil. The mulch will be help retain moisture. We have to keep going and get these plants, animals and insects through to the rainy time, which we all hope is soon.

Va’am Hiapsa (Water is Life)

Without water, nothing is possible. There are only 780 gallons left in Tank 2. This equates to approximately 23 days of water. Do I use well water until the rain comes? Do I let most of the plants try to survive on their own? Do I cull the native plants that have bloomed and are closest to their dormant period despite them being green – so that other plants can continue to live longer with regular watering? Am I too over concerned about the oaks’ and their access to ground water? Can I watch all my hard work and these plants that I love so much whither and die? As I watch my tank water level decrease every day, it reminds me that I will need to make some tough choices soon.

We are making headway here. There are plants that have established very well, lots of plants in bloom and plants that grew from naturally distributed seed. Although there has been attrition due to gophers, extreme heat and simply failure to thrive, the system is functioning. It is on a much smaller scale than I anticipated when I started, but I am seeing modest progress.

Checking-In on Friends

I went to Caroline Korn’s home to check in with her and see how the broad leaf milkweeds were doing. Caroline is one of the finest gardeners I know, and sure enough, the milkweeds were doing very well. I could not believe that she pulled out all of the runners from the plant that was in the adjacent spot. She is remarkable! Caroline realized most of her blooms were from food plants and has decided to plant more native nectar plants. We will be sure to “hook her up” with some from the Xerces Kits in November. Being near a creek and having existing habitat, she is a good candidate for the kit.

Next Steps

With the acorn falling, it is time to think about the waterways and preparing for rain. I am going to work on some modest log dam structures or beaver dam analogs. I still need to find a good plan for how to make them. I have the logs from the couple dangling branches I had cut, and set into the creek bed. I cleared out the smaller logs so I have room to work and can build the foundation. I don’t want to create a pond. I want to slow the runoff down and back the water up a little so the soil gets a good dose of moisture.

David helped me pick up a massive load of new commercial grade barbed wire, well-used t-posts, smooth wire and clips from a friend’s family that was selling their ranch and equipment. The truck was loaded down. This trip, even with current gas prices, was well worth it. I will now have enough barbed wire to build the two riparian protection fences at a fraction of the cost. Thank you Arturo and Carolina. We wish you well in your next chapter of life!

Even with all the dust, heat and wind, there is so much beauty here. It is a constant reminder to be grateful, and it gives me the courage to even consider that the rough days will pass.

Of Abigail Adams, Drought and Failure

Grasshopper on the California Milkweed

One of my many favorite classes at Humboldt State was US History. And, one of my favorite explorations was reading and analyzing the letters of Abigail Adams. Until then, I had not heard much about the women who were instrumental in establishing the United States. It was an incredible window into the life of a woman in the 1700s. Of course, Abigail has been defined in terms of her relation to John Adams, the second president of the US, and John Quincy Adams, her son, the sixth president of the US. It was not the men in her life that fascinated me most; it was her intelligence and determination in a time before corner stores, antibiotics and air conditioning. She often wrote to John about conditions on their farm in Braintree, Massachusetts, the children always being sick, lack of money and the farm failing.

Her words, or some semblance of them, enter my mind often these days. Not just because it is near the 4th of July, but because there are so many challenges here at Walappu’ ‘Uuchuthuu. We are beset by grasshoppers, and they are eating everything in their path. Especially in Site 2, the plants, the hours of work planting, weeding and watering, are nearly all eaten. Almost all were healthy and gorgeous just 2 weeks ago. The smell was uplifting, the growth progress a joy to see. We had sulfur butterflies all around. Now, there is chlorophyll carnage – leaves so tattered with holes they seem like defeated flags on ghost ships, empty stems bent from the weight of hundreds of grasshoppers per day gnawing on them, and the intact sagging under the knowledge that their healthy, glorious bodies will be next.

It is too sad to post photos. The ones I took two weeks ago to post with this entry no longer reflect reality, and I cannot look upon those photos without my eyes beginning to cloud. I thought, just maybe, the milkweed might be spared. You hear so much about its toxicity that I thought, “well, maybe…” Not true. The grasshoppers spare no one. They have eaten three of my dear huken (narrowleaf milkweed). In a last ditch effort, I placed a solar powered bird bath theorizing that perhaps it might bring more insect eating birds to the arroyo. I continue to water them in the hope that I can keep their roots alive through this dark time.

Drought

The drought is causing me to water twice per week to keep the native plants alive. I water the plants in pots daily. You know it is dry when there are a line of songbirds waiting for their turn to use the water bowl. I am not kidding. There was actually a line, and there is the most distinctive ring of bird poop making a circle around the dog dish.

Having water available for the wildlife is critical. Even if you live in an apartment, you should put out some vessel of water to help as many as possible survive. I have a bird bath on the southeast corner of the patio. It is always in use. The fountain bubbles 24/7, and I have a shallow dish on top of the slate to provide a shallow vessel for those that like that depth. Birds use both the deep eddies and the shallow dish. I provided a shallow amount of water in the stock trough on the north side of the enclosure, and the one on the south side near Tank 3. Then, there are the other two aforementioned vessels – the dog dish on the west side of the house and solar bird bath in Site 2.

Given the need to water twice a week and to keep more than the normal amount of water out for wildlife, I am concerned I will not have enough rain water to supply the plants twice a week through the summer. I have already begun backing off of watering the locations that did not sprout from the Xerces Kits. I am also limiting water for the plants I established last year figuring that they do not need as much as those that are newer. I am hoping to get by. Here are the latest tank levels:

Tank 1: 100 gal remaining (This is the tank that had the leak, and we lost half of the stored water). This feeds Site 2. Once it is depleted, I will switch the hose to Tank 2.

Tank 2: 2,213 gal remaining.

Tank 3: 1352

In May, so I could get water more efficiently to all of the sites (vs. hauling water in buckets from troughs), David rigged a watering system using a 25 gal sprayer onto my ATV. I had my doubts, but it has been working well and really has helped me deliver water faster to all of the sites. I do not completely fill the tank due to the weight of water. I generally fill it a little over half. All has been well until the other day. The metal platform arm on the ATV snapped. In truth, the ATV is a cheapo model; the weight limit is 300lbs. With my weight being far less than that, there is room for some water transport. All we can theorize is that the weld on this cheapo was faulty. Now I am back to hauling water by hand. Sigh…

Site Updates

Updated Site numbering, with “ac” meaning “A. Californica” (California Milkweed)

A. Californica sites: It has been a blockbuster year for California milkweed. The two main sites ended up with many more plants. The plant counts in order of closest to the house to furthest: From 7 to 12, From 16 to 21, 1 and 2. They have already set seed pods -except for the youngest ones. They will need to fight the wind, heat and grasshoppers now to complete their cycle. I am grateful for the early bloomers. They have some nice sized pods. Some plants have gopher damage and a few have wind damage. I want as many seeds going into the air and ground as possible.

Site 1a through g:

Detail of Site 1 using old satellite photo of homesite

Site 1a: Mostly deer grass. All are doing well. Two rose bushes, which are not being prioritized. New lilac tree transplant doing well. Honeysuckle bush brings bees to area.

Site 1b: Primrose doing very well. Two narrowleaf milkweed reemerged from original South Test Plot. They may end up as gopher food. Crossing my fingers they won’t this year. Pacific aster looks healthy, but no blooms yet. There are still some poppies, which bees and flies love. I am continuing to water them a little.

Raised bed is a tough place. Rabbit or gopher still around causing trouble. Three of four milkweeds that were snipped have reemerged. Showy milkweed that was snipped reemerged. All look healthy. Original woolly pod milkweed did not come back. One of two woolly pod transplants is still growing. (Rabbit got the other one). Heartleaf milkweed transplant is still alive but not much growth. Transplanted the two yerba santas and two primrose; all transplants were in gopher shields. Transplanted sunflower starts using gopher shields. Still, rabbit is snipping some of the plants from the top. Sulfur buckwheat and California fuchsia are surviving, but do not look 100%. Installed a t-post windbreak with shade cloth. It is working for now. While installing it, I got hit in the head with the t-post pounder. Fortunately, it was not moving fast. It was all my fault. I walked behind my husband who was pounding in the t-posts. I was cleaning up some broken composter pieces. He turned just at that point, pounder in hand, and my head was at his hand level. Then…well you get the idea. It hurt. 18lbs of steel.

Site 1c: Everything is doing really well. Lots of blooms, including from my own herb plants. We lost one lupine, but the other silver lupine is doing really well.

Site 1d: Three of four coyote bushes survived. The fourth is a stick, but I am still giving it some water in case the roots are alive. The biologist said the location is very exposed, and the wind may have been too much for it.

Site 1e: This is the hedgerow kit from Xerces. Most of the dormant plants did not emerge. Some of the bushes have had a hard time. The manzanita, coyote bush, coyote mint, one toyon, and a few other bushes are surviving. I planted sunflower starts in the mesh bags where other plants did not emerge. Since the sunflower is an annual, if the original Xerces kit root is still alive, it will be fine for next year. Better to repurpose than dig more!

Site 1f: Most of the plants are doing well here. I lost one narrowleaf milkweed. I am still watering it in case it comes back – as a second one did in this location. The sages, California fuchsia, buckwheat, yerba santa, monkey flower and milkweeds are doing well. Deer grass is surviving. The California rose has failed to thrive. I don’t know what happened. It is just a stick now and lost all its leaves.

Site 1 g: The milkweeds are doing very well on this north-facing slope. The sages and yerba santa did not do well at all. The California fuchsia, monkey flower and buckwheat are doing well. One A. Californica transplant is thriving. The other is not doing well.

Site 2: I can’t talk about it.

Site 7: The deer grass bunches are all alive and well.

Site 8: This was the site decimated by wild pigs and where I planted some of the Xerces riparian kit milkweed. None of the Xerces kit milkweeds emerged. The two survivors from the pig attack were doing well. Two weeks ago, I found the narrowleaf milkweed nosed out of its hole. There was no sign of wild pigs, so I surmised that a calf nosed it out. Fortunately, I got to it in time before the root ball dried out. I reburied it. It has stayed green and has continued to grow since then. There is also one showy milkweed, which is going well.

Site 9: This is the area with most of the Xerces riparian kits surrounded by a branch fence. I rebuilt the fence last weekend. The mulefat and two wormwoods are all still alive. The pacific aster was eaten as was the golden current and mulefat during the cow break in. A second golden current looks like it has dried out where I hid it under some brush. There is still water in this area of the creek. There is a chance it will come back. The cottonwood is growing suckers, and most of the oak seedlings are surviving hidden under the brush piles I created months ago.

Site 10: Three of the four willows planted are surviving. I was not able to find the fourth. Perhaps a cow or deer got to it. The one mulefat I planted there is thriving. It has grown significantly and is a beauty. I will need to get some water to those plants. I will need to haul it in buckets from the large spring that is fairly close by.

Administrative Work

Last week, I learned that I was awarded 10 more Xerces Kits. I have two ranch sites, plus mine, and maybe the Southern Sierra Miwuk office building space. We will get those into the ground in November.

I presented to Tribal Council, and they approved moving forward with housing the Technical Assistance work through their Miwumati program. I need to design a project plan and timeline, work with their team to get a young person hired for August to December, and connect them with the RCD and Xerces partners. I am excited to mentor a young person on this work.

Two weeks ago, I signed for my first NRCS grant. This is funding that comes through the Farm Bill, to the USDA and into a variety of ag programs. I am focused on providing ecological services under this program. These services on my ranch will help address climate change as well as improve soils and water for the ag operation. It is a win win. More on this as I get started.

Biologists Perform Site Visit

My heroes – the Xerces biologists – come for a site visit (l-r: Jessa, Deedee and Maddy) visit

Two Fridays ago, the team from Xerces visited. I took them to all of the sites except Site 10. They provided some good feedback and then went to look at Deedee’s experiment she has on Odom Creek. Before they left, they said everything looked good and that I was doing a good job. This meant a lot to me. As you have read in this blog, I’ve had a litany of disasters lately, and sometimes adapting is not enough to win the day. Like Abigail Adams, I have felt like a failure – that everything around me is being held together by bailing wire, hope and determination. I have not seen one monarch since I began this work in 2019. With the heat, drought, grasshoppers, the failed Xerces plants, the ATV busting, bonking my head, it all feels like it won’t be enough to help. What’s more, I have seen only one butterfly in weeks – a yellow sulfur. If we have another horrible, smokey fire season, I don’t know what I will do.

I am trying to focus on the positive – all the other pollinators and butterflies that have sought food and thrived, the beautiful blooms, the incredible smell of it all. This is really all I have to cling to – that what I am doing is helping something. There is still so much I don’t know, and it can be tough to see the forest for the trees – or rather the Monarch migration for the milkweed. Hopefully, it will all end up making a difference.

Full moon over the dry hills

From Green to Yellow Overnight. Branch Fence Fail. Drought Takes Over. Ode to a Beagle.

It has been a rough few weeks. The vibrant green of verdant hills has given way to the crunch of yellow straw. Yellow hits the eyes much differently than green. When green, the light is almost nourishing, energizing. While still beautiful, yellow light is blanching, dry like cotton balls in the mouth.

The drought has had a significant impact on the entire ranch, and it is just the beginning of May. While last year the a’wuu’atee (butterfly food) needed watering only once per week, with a few exceptions, the majority of plants will now need watering twice per week this year. I accounted for double watering for about 1/4 of the plants in my rain water budget, and had captured more than enough for a summer and fall watering schedule. However, with the earlier start to irrigation, the leak in Tank 1 resulting in loss of 30% of that water and 90% of the plants taking additional water, including some of the plants from last year, I may not have enough. The late storm in April helped refill Tank 3, because it was still hooked up to the gutters. Unfortunately, I had already taken down the piping system for Tanks 1 and 2 from the gutters. There was no refill, which would have helped greatly for Tank 1.

An earlier photo of the hill spring. It is the darker green in the center top portion of the photo. Note the very light green, almost white, around the darker. This is it shrinking in size.

The humidity is so low so often that the moisture gets sucked out of the troughs, the soil and the plants. I have not seen anything like this in years. The hill spring (photo above), where I planted one of the big leaf maples, is already drying up. This spring typically stays green through the summer and dries in the fall. I knew it would be a dry year, so I prioritized planting within the moist soil of the spring and also in the green portions of the arroyo. I am not sure that will be enough help. The soil is clay in both those locations and requires the spring moisture to absorb into the hardened soil for it to benefit the plants. Otherwise, it is just a location with deep fissures with limited moisture retention. I am watering the arroyo twice a week now and am concerned that the water simply “falling through the cracks” with limited absorption into the hard soil. I am still monitoring this site to make a final assessment of benefit or not.

Speaking of the Arroyo…

Success at the arroyo is mixed. This seems to be a place where a variety of spiders and bugs live – which is wonderful – but not for the red bud. A large spider moved into the redbud gopher basket. There was one hole, then two, and now three. How do I know it is a spider hole? I saw a very large spider come out to check out why there was water entering its hole. There was nothing I could do to save the redbud. Over the weeks, it died. I hate to think what happened to its roots. RIP redbud. You looked so beautiful.

There is still some green in the arroyo. It is all on the north-facing slope. My theory of planting on that side has paid off so far. The plants, with the exception of a purple sage that did not transfer well, are doing well. This is likely to change fairly rapidly. I have been watching with trepidation the growing number of grasshoppers in the arroyo. They are small now, and mostly on the grass. However, they grow massive and eat everything in their path. They are a plague. We have not had them at plague levels for many years. They have always been around, just not to such a degree as I have seen them in the far past – where they ate paint off the house. I don’t know what I will do if they eat all the butterfly plants.

Spring Creek is Still Flowing and Flowering

Yellow, white and purple flowers still blooming in the Spring Creek

Fortunately, there is still some water on the land. The spring is still flowing in Spring Creek. As a result, the growth is still happening organically. The cattle were moved out, which has allowed a variety of plants to grow where there is no fencing. The creek is also protected from the winds we get on the hill top. When it is windy, I don’t see butterflies. However, in the creek, there were many blue coppers. They are so beautiful and have quickly become one of my favorites.

I purchased more Wedge-Loc corners to build fence around the Spring Creek. The branch fence was breached three weeks ago when the cattle were still here. Using the Wedge-Loc system will require less work over the long term and allow me to protect more linear feet of creek. I think the branch fencing is still useful. It is natural, beautiful, creates habitat and does act as a barrier. However, if you don’t have a group of people or regular ranch hand helping maintain it, you can lose the protection-ability as grass gets less plentiful and the pressure to browse it becomes greater for the cattle.

Two oak seedlings inside branch fence survive and thrive

We have a proliferation of white lupine, yellow mariposa lilies and purple brodiaea. Also near the creek, one showy milkweed and one narrowleaf milkweed have returned from the original 7 planted in 2020 that the wild pigs turned up. They look strong and healthy. One golden current and a mugwort survived the breach of the branch fence. The mulefat is coming back after being browsed a while back. There are other plants I have not been able to ID yet. I planted the riparian Xerces kits along this creek – so I am not quite sure what things are. I think, for most of the plants, there needs to be more moisture, a slight flooding event, to get the roots going. I believe my limited watering is not enough to get them started. Maybe next year. Happily, the oak seedlings made it through the browsing. They all look strong and healthy.

Providing TA and Creating a Migration Pathway

A small portion of the Resource Conservation District grant is helping expand habitat through public education and provision of plants. Already, two people expanded existing habitat on their home parcels. I have also been thinking about migration pathways. Friends have ranches in a straight line south west and north east of me. How incredible it would be if there was a large supply of milkweed and nectar plants all in a line on the monarchs’ route through Mariposa County. I contacted both individuals, and they said they were interested. I performed site visits and helped select plant locations. Both locations are in moist areas of their ranches. One is in a wash below a spring. The other is a wet section of a creek that runs through the property. I included them in a Xerces Kit grant request. Ideally, we will have two riparian hedgerow kits per site. On my site, I will extend planting along the Spring Creek and possibly along Odom Creek.

April Rain Helped but Not for Long

A. Californica – A Bumper Crop!

One of the bright, happy occurrences this season has been the proliferation of California Milkweed. Last year, this magical plant appeared out of nowhere. I had counted three communities and populations of 13, 7 and 2. This year, I found four communities with populations of 16, 13, 2 and 1. I plan to hike to all of the sites to perform a final count. The site closest to the house ended up with 13! You may recall 4 weeks ago I lamented that I had only counted 6. Again, these plants are magic – popping up out of nowhere.

Ode to a Beagle

You were a bother with your insolence, smell and patio pooping

and daily disappearance from olfactory compelled sniffs and snooping.

My dad dropped you off unequipped for your destructive self-direction

We locked stares, quarreled and chased — but upon some reflection…

It is clear that your bay drove coyotes away.

Your epic snore made me, for quiet, thankful more.

Those ears velveteen changed dog haters from mean.

The prolific fur you shed made me clean under the bed, and

the rugs you destroyed are now redeployed

as outside paths, wool pave, along the well-worn trail toward all my pets’,

and your

grave.

a. Californica Obsession and Fencing – So Much Work…

The motherlode of *a. Californica*. Such a special plant!

a. Californica (a.c.) has become my absolute favorite butterfly plant. There are so many I love, but a.c. take the prize. Not only do they look like they are prehistoric, they have the most gorgeous flower and scent. In fact, several of the a.c. plants were blooming and beginning to emit their stunning scent. This is a little early as compared to last year. Things seem to be a bit off this year.

On my monitoring hike this past week, I found 14 a.c. plants on the north slope. This is one more in that community than last year. I found a third plant in the area that is closest to the house. We are getting closer to last year’s numbers, but are still significantly deficient (3 vs. 7 last year). The third community remains even at 2 this year (and 2 last year). I am finding larger plants too. This is really good because caterpillars need considerable plant material to make it to their chrysalis stage. One day, we will have the ability to transfer smell through the computer. I would love to be able to send you some of a.c.’s fragrance.

I am seeing many species of butterfly, but no monarchs yet. Today there were three white sulfur butterflies fluttering around as I watered in Site 2.

I saw a yellow butterfly today that was slightly larger than the whites. It was not like a swallowtail. It was much smaller. It moved much too quickly, and I had no hope of getting any type of photo – even a bad one. I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with a painted lady butterfly. She was much slower and stayed on the plant in front of me for quite some time. The butterfly had a little more black in the middle, but was unmistakably a painted lady.

Fencing is always a barrier to expansion into other places on the ranch. In addition to being expensive, the work is so difficult to do on my own. Fortunately, David said he would help me with the fence around Site 2. David is stronger and has more leverage with his height. It is much quicker when he is helping. I have been wanting to plant in the arroyo for some time, so this was really exciting for me.

David is a very strong man! I am so grateful for him.

The posts are all set up. We decided to use Wedge Loc tools to construct corners. It is not as strong as a traditional corner that is cemented in, but it can do the job for a temporary fence. I was going to use barbed wire, but decided it would be too difficult to get the tension I need on it – given the corners are not in cement. I really don’t like working with barbed wire anyway. I had some extra no climb fencing at the shed, but opted to purchase new fencing. This way, I would have enough, and it would go faster. The cows are returning to my side on Wednesday, and I need to the fence complete by then – but David ran out of energy and time.

Fortunately, my neighbor, Ric Wetzel, was able to provide some supplemental help again. He drove over in his new, fancy, super useful all electric Polaris and hauled the fencing down to Site 2. He assessed the situation, returned on Monday afternoon to help me install the field fence and worked with me until the sun was down. Thank you Ric!! It all went so much faster with a second person – but oh my – what a lot of work. That Polaris is like driving on a cloud. You cannot feel the bumps – and on a ranch, that is saying a lot.

Cage around the maple tree in the hillside spring area

I took down the cage from around the redbud since it would be included inside the new fence structure and repurposed the entire thing for the newly planted maple tree I placed in the hillside spring down flow area. I really wanted to get some trees in place on the north side. Ron assured me that these Big Leaf Maple trees are native to California and are drought tolerant. He said they can be found all over Southern California and growing in arroyos too. I was sold and am excited to see what they do.

Nest – blown down with branch still attached

The wind has been fairly steady with some gusts. When I returned to the house on Saturday, I saw this gorgeous blue egg (see photo above) just sitting on the driveway. It was amazing. Then, David found the nest, still attached to the branch it was on. We thought this was a robin’s egg and next. The were not next to each other, but near enough. The first call I made was to Melinda Barrett from the County Resource Conservation District. She sent me an article that discussed that people should leave eggs alone when they find them out of the nest. Not only are the eggs likely not viable, but if you had the extraordinary amount of time it takes to raise a bird baby, the bird could never be returned to the wild since it would not have the benefit of the bird parents educating on finding food, flying, etc. I put the egg back where I found it opting for less work and heartbreak.

The wildflowers are still blooming. They are getting less and less as the ground dries out more rapidly. There was not sufficient rain to grow the grass tall, and the existing plants are beginning to die off and leave a crunch under foot. Cattle are being culled in anticipation of a lean feed year. The water in the Swale Pond is almost gone, and the Spring Creek is down to a trickle. There are still some deeper stands of water in Odom Creek, but that will be gone soon except at the spring. Rainwater Tank 1 had a slow leak. David fixed it, but I lost an eight of the water before it could be fixed. I am nervous about what the future will bring in terms of the drought. I decided to cut back by half on the plants I will plant this spring. I want to be sure I have enough rainwater to get all of us through this dry time.

On a positive note, David and I both received our first vaccine dose. We are planning for the second dose to take us out of commission for a few days. I will water on Thursday before I get the next shot in anticipation of this. Life, and death, are all around us. I am grateful to just be present, right now, in this place, being a part of something that is beneficial, loving and breathing life into the world.

More a. Californica Spotted and Wildflower Whiplash

*a. Californica* on the hill east of the house

I always let out a whoop of excitement when I see these remarkable a. Californica plants. They look so prehistoric to me, and the smell is heaven. The air of magic around these plants is only enhanced by its rapid “see them out of nowhere” growth. Last year, I shared that I found three communities of these plants – one near the house with seven plants, one on the tall south facing hill to the north of the house with thirteen plants, and one on a hill to the east of the house with two plants. I have been monitoring each location. The east hill has two plants. The site near the house has two plants (so far), and the north hill had two plants. In the last post, I suggested that it may still be early to see many of these plants, and I was right. The plants have been appearing about a week after my first sighting.

Signs of the Drought Apparent

Spring Creek is still running, though just slightly. As visible in the first photo above, the eddy has receded several feet – and this is without cows drinking from it in almost two weeks. My trial mini beaver dam analog did not do much. I will try harder in the future. The Swale Pond receded 10″ in just one day. Note the moist area exposed and the water line in the second photo. The big spring in line on Odom Creek is still full. The creek is running pretty good. It was dry for quite some time in the early winter despite precipitation. The soil was so thirsty that there was little standing (or moving) water until late February. Not pictured are the increasing number of dry spots visible throughout the area. I have already begun irrigating. This is a three weeks earlier than last year.

Wildflower Whiplash – they are everywhere!

Stunning hill of purple (Blue Dick flowers)

Blue Dicks, Popcorn Flower, Fiddleneck and Lupine proliferate insanely this year. The hills are washed in strokes of color – orange, purple, white, yellow. It is really stunning. You almost get whiplash swinging your head around in every direction to see the colors and flowers. The drought is partly responsible as well as the darker winter we had. The grass did not get the best timing for water and had less sunlight with which to grow. This made room for the wildflowers to sprout and not have to compete/be blocked out by the European grasses. While this is not good for the cattle business, it really is extraordinarily beautiful, amazing for pollinators and quite the olfactory experience. If I could share the smell with you through this blog, I would. Nectar is heavy in the air and the sound of all sorts of bees is an ongoing, loud undulating hum. My photos just do not convey this outlandish beauty.

Milkweeds Growing Well

Xerces and Monarch joint Venture each push that milkweed is the most needed plant to be planted for monarch habitat. I am very happy to say that I have many milkweeds emerging strong and healthfully. Most are narrowleafs. However I found one showy coming back at Site 8 and, of course, the a. Californica. I have not seen any of the woolly pods I planted come back this year. The gopher hit them hard twice last year. I was happy to see some narrowleafs come back from the wild pig attack at Site 8. They did not reemerge last year, and I thought I may have lost them completely. I have growth that I can see in four of the seven milkweeds planted there last year. Of the nine I planted in the raised bed, only three have returned from the massacre by the gopher that sneaked into the bed. It does look like the CA fuchsia is reemerging. That would be incredible if so. We still have a deer grass and a yerba santa that survived the attack.

Other Notable Updates

There is a tremendous variety of growth in and around the branch fence area. I have not seen any of the milkweed I planted from the Xerces kits emerge yet. The area is more shaded, and the showy milkweed seems to be taking longer to emerge. It seems as though another creature is making its way into the branch fence area. I’ve seen some of the fencing fallen down and soil disturbance. It isn’t a calf since they are on the south part of the ranch. I did not see any scat or tracks to be able to know. It would be useful and fun to set up a game camera. I have one, but have not gotten around to doing this. It would be interesting to see who is coming around in the night (or day when I am not looking).

At Site 2 in the arroyo, the plants are off to a good, healthy start. I did see considerable gopher activity near the site. I found the hose covered in gopher mounds in several locations along its route from the water tank to the arroyo. Getting a stainless steel hose was a specifically so gophers could not bite through it and cattle could not crush it. It will be tested now. The cattle are due to return at the end of the week.

I have been seeing white butterflies with a pale orange throughout their wings. They spook easy, and I do not have a good photo to share. I was able to get two pictures from far away, but the pixelation when blown up is terrible. I did not include them here.

It appears that the cattle pushed their way through the barbed wire to browse the deergrass. I found one of the wires shifted up and the bunch of grass trimmed low. It is possible it could be a deer. I have seen evidence of their presence toward the more forested portion of the ranch. My neighbor said he saw one too the other day. There were no deer droppings or hair on the wire – but it is a possibility.

Spring is always a time of hope. Plants are in the ground and doing well before gophers, heat, pigs or any other misfortune finds them. David and I received our first vaccine shot last Friday. We have hope too that we will be able to do more away from home and see family and friends that we have only seen on a video screen. We miss hugs and being with the people we love. Let us all cling to as much hope as possible and the joy it brings. We do not know what lies ahead, but for now, I will celebrate the possibilities of togetherness and the arrival of the monarchs.

Let the Blooms Begin!

It truly is amazing how blooms happen. Overnight, they just appear. Although I have been seeing the stems for a couple weeks, I woke up Saturday morning to a proliferation of purple. In fact, there are many plants sprouting blooms or new leaves. Early nectar is an important habitat element for monarchs as they begin their journey from the coast northeast. I say this as if it is a sure thing. The truth is – the monarchs may never come. The Xerces overwintering count was less than abysmal. There were almost no monarchs overwintering. From millions to under 2,000 individuals, this is a major crisis. I keep having this fantasy that they are adapting to climate change and habitat loss, that their course is shifting, that they have chosen moderate habitats inland. It is simply a fantasy that helps keep me moving forward, a trick of the brain. While it is possible, it is not likely in numbers anywhere near the millions. So, I keep moving forward knowing that my work also impacts other pollinators – butterflies, bees, flies and really…everything.

I was so pleased to see that the majority of plants I planted are settling in, beginning to leaf-out. The buckeye is really leafing out. The cottonwood is still dormant, but I am excited to see that tree thrive. The redbud seedling is beginning to leaf-out. I am really excited to see it in bloom. If she likes it here, I will plant more. I am really excited about this shrub as well as the big leaf maple I just planted over the weekend. Ron Allen (mariposanativeplants.com) included the maple as a good option for pollinators in my latest order. I will plant another when the seedling is ready. Planting trees is crucial for carbon sequestration and helping reduce climate change. However, it is important to consider water availability when choosing what tree and where to plant. Ron said the big leaf maple is indigenous to California and is found in Southern California tolerating drier climates. With this in mind, I decided to purchase and plant it.

I chose to plant the maple along the arroyo near the swale pond. I plan to install more swales along the arroyo in the future, and felt that there would be sufficient moisture to maintain the tree(s) over the long term. Since it did not have leaves yet, I did not feel an urgent need to immediately place protection around it. I had a lot to do this weekend. I will build a cage around it this week. I already gathered the materials so they are ready when I have a two hour time slot.

Loaded and ready to go with fencing equipment on standby

All of the first set of plants are planted. I created a new milkweed/nectar plant “island” near the southeast corner of the house enclosure. I added the mugwort to the plantings of Site XR1.

I also took the time to monitor and weed around old plantings, especially the Xerces hedgerow kits. Some planted areas needed significant weeding. Several revealed some new growth way, way down at the dirt level. I am not sure if they are the plants I planted. Many were dormant at the time of planting. All I can say is that the sprouts look different than the typical grass I am familiar with, so I did not pull them. The riparian kit plants, that I can see, appear to be thriving especially the golden currents and mulefat. There is also an aster that retained its leaves all winter (i.e. nothing ate it).

On Friday, I saw two types of butterflies. They came and went so fast that I did not have time to attempt a photo. One was larger and black. The other was lighter, not quite white. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. It is proof that what I am doing is working. We also had a large number of European honeybees and a large bumble bee. They are loving the arugula flowers. Still no a. California, but I continue to look. Also, I am improving my knowledge by attending the Community Alliance wit h Family Farmers annual conference. There are some great topics, including carbon sequestration, composting, indigenous ag and many others. Check out the conference page.

Technical Support

A very small portion of the grant I helped write with Melinda Barrett of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) is for technical assistance helping others plan, choose and implement planing of pollinator friendly plants, particularly those appealing to monarch butterflies. I am leveraging my experience, with the expertise of Ron Allen and Melinda Barrett, to help connect people, land, plants and butterflies. My friend Carolin has been following the Walappu’ ‘Uuchuthuu posts on Facebook and wanted to participate. Ron and I helped her pick good plants for the monarchs and her location in Catheys Valley. She purchased some plants and got them into the ground right away. Carolin had some help though! Two of her children and the family fur-child helped too. See their photos below – and cuteness alert!

Astrid and her younger brother Siggi (clearly cold) help give the monarchs a future

Monarch plantings are a phenomenal way to engage with family and teach children about their role as stewards in this world. A big “thank you”to Carolin and her family for jumping in as change makers and for sharing these great photos. Hopefully, there will be many more families and individuals participating in planting a’woo’atee (butterfly food). If you want to be a part of this change making project, contact me through the “contact” page on this blog.

Rain Comes – More Needed

There were several days of rain over the last two weeks, with two continuous days of rain last week that were the real soakers. In those two days, we received 4.5 inches. It has been much needed. We are still in drought though, with a dry year predicted. Rain years are calculated beginning on October 1. So far, this rain year we have had 7.625 inches of rain. According to historic documentation, the average precipitation is 14 inches in Hornitos. We still have a way to go, and hopefully we go beyond that. The worse year of the five year drought this past decade was 9 inches. I don’t want to see that again. It was horribly dry, and that was the year the large spring on the mid section of the ranch finally dried up. I never thought I would see that. Our cattleman even had to haul in water.

Heather reconnects pipe that had become disconnected

The winds were so terrible that my rain water catchment system failed. My husband and I went out three times to fix it. In a storm where the tank should have been full, it is only at half its capacity. So disappointing! The first occasion, the pipe had split in its mid section. The second occasion, the pipe had blown away from the downspout in one place and had disconnected in the mid section again. The third time, I found that the tank exit pipe had somehow gotten unglued and had been leaking the entire time. When I banged on it, it came completely off and the precious water collected began gushing out. I re-nested the pipe back over the other with all my strength. I got soaked in the process. Fortunately, my husband was out there with me that time, and ran to get the wet glue, which can still stick pipe together even when wet. He ultimately fixed it. The ground was soggy, and it was difficult to balance the ladder on the decline, especially in the wind. I almost fell off one time. I was able to keep the ladder upright as I followed the inertia and “walked” it down hill to a solid place before getting off. I got soaked on that one too. All I can do is hope that we get more rain without ferocious winds to fill the tank. I will need this water to keep the plants alive through the long, dry time.

After the storm, I hiked around the property to check on the plantings. With the two straight days of rain and wind, I wanted to be sure the cottonwood and cage were alright as well as the plantings and branch fence and Odom Creek plantings with brush pile protections. I planted most of the plants close enough to the creek bed to get a soaking during high water, but not so close that the roots were in water all the time in the winter. I looked at the neighbor’s cottonwoods and my own buckeyes to see where they were successful in relation to the creek bed and followed that example.

Fortunately, the two days of rain did not flood the spring creek and take the branch fence with it. There were a couple filler branches that moved downstream with the flow. I ended up replacing only three branches to fill a couple bare spots in the fence. Overall, I was really happy with the outcome. There are a few bulls on the ranch now along with the cows (It is that time of year for love.), and I have some concerns that the bulls will just push through it to get to the long blades of grass on the other side. I will keep watching.

I also checked Odom Creek. There, I thought the flow would be greater with more of a chance that the brush piles over the willows would be washed away. To my surprise, it did not look as though the water reached the plants on the east side. Although the ground was wet, the dirt did not look dark as if the water line reached them. The water clearly soaked the willow on the west side. Each brush pile was intact. All plants were present and accounted for – four willows and one mule fat.

Other Monitoring

Looking for a. California sprouts with Andy and Bibi

I have also been checking the a. Californica site closest to the house for sprouts. Last year, there was no rain in February, which I am thinking stunted grass grown allowing the a. California milkweed to get a head start on growing. This year, with rains in February, I am concerned that the grass may grow faster than the milkweed. I want to watch for its remarkable leaves and trim the grass in that area to give it a chance. That early milkweed will be important for the monarchs.

Planning for Spring Planting

Ron Allen, UC Master Gardener and Co-Owner of Mariposa Native Plants

Ron came over to discuss the next plant order. I asked for his guidance on my plan and showed him the areas where I was thinking of focusing this Spring. He also got a chance to see what was doing well, and what didn’t make it. Overall, things looked good. I placed an order for 89 plants. We are continuing to go big for the monarchs.

Already wildflowers have bloomed. I see blue dick stems and poppy leaves sprouted. The primrose never stopped blooming. Spring is around the corner. I am going to plant anything I can for February. The milkweeds won’t be ready, but there should be some nectar plants available then.

Pretty little wildflowers already blooming

The storm made for some dramatic photos and clouds. I end my blog with some select shots that I hope you enjoy.

Things Are Ok

Right after the first of the year, I received a call from family that a younger relative’s health was not good. I helped them think through their issue, which lead to an Emergency Department visit and ultimately a five day hospital stay. My family member was very ill, so my husband and I dropped everything to make the eight hour drive, carefully per Public Health guidelines, to go help. Fortunately, I had planted most of the surplus plants Deedee brought me from a native nursery (see December 29th post). They all needed to get into the ground to benefit from winter rains. There were about six left. They would have to wait.

We stayed until my family member was ok, which was two weeks. That was two weeks in a city. Although I love where they live, there is nothing like being home, especially when home is a beautiful, rural ranch where you can see the stars, smell the soil and the loudest noises are the song birds chattering to one another. I was happy to be back in my natural habitat.

I hiked the ranch checking on all my plantings and generally seeing what was new. The plantings were still ok, and the branch fences were holding. Sadly, all of the washes were dry. The swale pond did not even have a wet spot. Odom Creek was still not running; it was only wet at the large spring and within a short distance, due to the slight water flow. Even more of a trickle was the little spring on the spring creek. It flowed slowly from the spring to just the other side of the pooled water. Evidence of the drought was clear. When I got back to the house, also site 9, I watered all of the newer plantings from before I left.

My first priority was to plant the buckeye, redbud and cottonwood trees.

Buckeye planted where it will get some shade from the oak.

I planted the buckeye as part of Site 9, which is ever expanding with all the hedgerows and nectar plants. The redbud is now the lone plant in Site 2, at the base of the spring that flows, subterranean to the arroyo. The cottonwood is in Site 8.

The cows were gone at this time, and were supposed to return in a few days. The redbud was placed out in the field outside of the fenced-in area. It would need protection in order to grow and thrive. The morning a day before the cattle were to return, I saw cows on the hills of the ranch. They were here early. Ack! I had all the supplies available, so I put on my overalls, hooked the cart to the quad, loaded the cart and headed to Site 2 to make the protective cage before I had to start my job.

I chose to use four t-posts with no-climb fencing attached to it. I like to use previously used posts for these projects, posts that are generally bent or messed up in some way. This leaves the nice posts for fencing needs. It can take a little more time to work with bent posts to get them into the ground, but it worked. I chose a thick gauge no-climb fencing from my leftover/ used fencing stock. Instead of a fence tool, I choose to use needle-nose pliers. They have wire cutting capability and grasping capability. The smaller size and lower weight is easier for my hands to work with. They are a great all- around tool that all homes, no matter the location, should have in their toolboxes. Of course, I brought my trusty t-post pounder and medium gauge smooth wire (you don’t want it too thin or too thick. Thin breaks too easy. Thick is too difficult to work with. It doesn’t twist well.). When you pound t-posts in, you should also use ear protection. Admittedly, I forgot to bring my ear protection. I figured it was only four posts and decided to not go back up to the house to get a set.

I did not realize I had an audience while I was working in the field – perhaps due to the lack of that ear protection and the t-post pounding still clinking in my ears. I saw one of my girls get up and move to the west. I looked up, and there they were – a small herd of cows and calves watching me work. After they noticed the dogs, they decided to keep moving along. The girls made sure they kept a wide berth from my location.

Finally, the cage was built. On the way back up the hill to the house, my cart hitch gave out and the cart separated from the quad and began rolling back down the hill. Fortunately, I had already made it about halfway up. The incline was not as great in that area, and the cart didn’t go too far. By hand, I hauled the cart the rest of the way up the hill. Then, I walked back down the hill to get the quad and got back to the house with 15 minutes before I had to start work. Success!

Cold weather with snow not quite to our elevation

All the major plants are in the ground, and it was just in time before the first really cold weather. Snow did not quite reach my elevation, but there has been frost in the morning. As I write this, the next cold storm is on its way here. The wind has picked up mightily, pushing and gusting. I imagine it will begin howling through the crevices of the house as the rains begin later tonight.

Things are ok here for now, but we will see what this next weather system brings and what butterflies come this Spring. The official Xerces butterfly count is in. There were less than 2,000 adults seen. It is a crushing blow. I hope the habitat I am installing will contribute in some way to helping their numbers grow, but we are only one small part of a much larger ecosystem on which the butterflies depend. I can only dream that there are tens of thousands of butterflies over wintering inland in areas not yet discovered.